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The 2025/26 European club rugby season commences against a backdrop of seismic shifts in the established hierarchy. The twin continental tournaments, the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup, are poised to deliver a compelling chapter of elite competition, culminating in the finals weekend at Bilbao's San Mamés Stadium in May 2026. This season is not merely a new beginning but the continuation of several powerful narratives forged in the crucible of the previous campaign. Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) enter as first-time Champions Cup winners, their triumph signaling a potential new era in French and European rugby, yet they must now contend with the immense pressure of defending their crown.

Their ascent was underscored by the stumbles of the continent's traditional powerhouses. Leinster Rugby and Stade Toulousain, the perennial betting favourites, were both unceremoniously dumped out at the semi-final stage, igniting campaigns that will be defined by a singular quest for redemption. Leinster, despite finally ending a trophy drought by securing the United Rugby Championship (URC) title, remain under intense internal scrutiny to recapture the European prize that has eluded them in recent, painful fashion. Toulouse, meanwhile, balanced their European disappointment by claiming yet another Top 14 crown, reinforcing their domestic supremacy but leaving them hungry to reassert their dominance on both fronts.

Across the channel, a renaissance is underway. Bath Rugby's spectacular 2024/25 season, in which they completed a historic treble of the Gallagher Premiership, Premiership Cup, and the EPCR Challenge Cup, has positioned them as the leading edge of a renewed English challenge. Their task is now to translate that comprehensive success into a legitimate assault on Europe's premier trophy, a feat described as "non-negotiable" to cement their status among the elite.